DAN. Ch. ix. V. 26.—And after threescore and two weeks shall MESSIAH be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of the prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

The above prophecies foretell the time when the MESSIAH was to be expected; and thus far the faith of the Jews extended; for at this appointed time they were universally looking for a great Deliverer, but, overlooking the spirituality of the prophecies, they expected a worldly sovereign, whereas the Deliverer promised them was one whose kingdom was to endure from everlasting to everlasting.

CHAP. XXIII.

At the crucifixion there was written over the cross a superscription in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, 38. THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

ISA. Ch. xliii. V. 1.—Thus saith JEHOVAH, that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel,-Fear not, for I have redeemed thee. 3. I am JEHOVAH thy GOD, the Holy One of Israel, thy SAVIOUR. 11. I, even I, am JEHOVAH, and beside me there is no Saviour. 13. Yea, before the day was, I am He, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. 15. I am JEHOVAH your Holy One, the Creator of Israel-YOUR KING.

I have merely concentrated the extraordinary and satisfactory contents of this chapter into a small space; but whoever will attentively read the original, will see that I have only selected its most essential points, without altering a word.

CHAP. XXIV.

JESUS saith to his disciples going to Emmaus, V. 25. O fools, and slow of heart, to believe all that the prophets have spoken. 26. Ought not CHRIST to have suffered these things, and to enter into

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his glory? 27. And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 44. And he said unto them, These are the words which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms concerning me.

DEUT. Ch. xviii. V. 15.-JEHOVAH thy GOD will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me. Unto him ye shall hearken,

ISA. Ch. vii. V. 14.-JEHOVAH himself shall give you a sign. Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name IMMANuel.

DAN. Ch. ix. V. 24.-Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city-to finish the transgression-to make an end of sins-to make reconciliation for iniquity-to bring in everlasting righteousness-to seal up the vision and prophecy—and to anoint the Most Holy.

Ps. cxviii. V. 21.—I will praise thee, for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. 22. The stone which the builders refused is become the head-stone of the corner. 23. This is JEHOVAH'S doing it is marvellous in our eyes. : This is the day which JEHOVAH hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

This small book may possibly be read by many who have not the patience and perseverance to read through and reflect on the contents of the whole Bible. Let me then seize this opportunity to entreat them to peruse with the greatest attention the last thirty verses of the 24th chapter of St. Luke; and I earnestly implore ALMIGHTY GOD, that (like the disciples) their understandings may be opened, and that they may learn to know JESUS CHRIST as he is taught in the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.

ST. JOHN.

СНАР. І.

V. 1.—In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with GOD, and the Word was GOD.

ISA. Ch. xliii. V. 12.-JEHOVAH saith, I am GOD. 13. Yea, before the day was, I am He.

In this comprehensive verse the eternity of CHRIST's existence is established.

V. 3.-All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

GEN. Ch. i. V. 1.—In the beginning ELOHIM created the heaven and the earth.

CHRIST is frequently said by St. Paul and the apostles to have created the world. To ascertain who created it, we must refer to Moses' account of the creation, and there we learn it is ELOHIM. Whatever difference of opinion there may be among Hebrew scholars as to the derivative of this name, no one, I believe, has ever asserted that ELOHIM was a created being; consequently, St. Paul, St. John, &c., testify unequivocally their belief in the divinity of CHRIST.

V. 23.—St. John saith, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the LORD, as said the prophet Esaias.

ISA. Ch. xl. V. 3.-The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of JEHOVAH, make straight in the desert a high way for our GOD.

I must here repeat a former remark, as this point and this prophecy cannot be too strongly enforced;

for here again we are told that St. John's office was to make straight the way of the LORD, (Heb. JEHOVAH.) Was the original word retained in this instance, it would at once establish the divinity of CHRIST, and therefore it is that I so often recall the attention to it.

V. 29.-St. John seeth JESUS coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

EXOD. Ch. xii. V. 3.—JEHOVAH spake to Moses, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers; a lamb for an house. 5. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. 6. They shall kill it in the evening, 7. And shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side-posts of the houses. 13. And when I see the blood I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you. 27. And ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of JEHOVAH's Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel when he smote the Egyptians.

The declaration of St. John necessarily leads one to think of the Paschal Lamb. They who believed and obeyed the command of JEHOVAH were led by him out from the bondage of Egypt. In like manner, they who believe in our SAVIOUR, and obey his commands, will be freed from the bondage of sin, and raised by him into the regions of everlasting happiness.

V. 45.-Philip saith to Nathanael, We have found him of whom Moses, in the Law and the Prophets, did write,-JESUS of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.

GEN. Ch. iii. V. 15.-JEHOVAH ELOHIM saith to the serpent, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

ISA. Ch. ix. V. 6.—Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty GOD, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Philip declares that Moses and the prophets wrote of CHRIST JESUS, and the foregoing extracts will, I hope, have proved that they announced the advent of a King whose reign was to be for ever and ever-of the EMMANUEL, GOD with us-of the Mighty GOD. Let us then read the Gospels with this fact well engraven on our mind, for this is the guide that will conduct us prosperously into the haven of truth.

CHAP. II.

V. 25.—JESUS needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man.

1 SAM. Ch. xvi. V. 7.—JEHOVAH said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance for JEHOVAH seeth not as man seeth, for man looketh on the outward appearance, but JEHOVAH looketh on the heart.

1 CHRON. Ch. xxviii. V. 9.-JEHOVAH searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found, but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

St. John says, JESUS knew what was in man; and the inspired writers of the Old Testament declare that JEHOVAH understandeth all the imaginations of the heart,

CHAP. III.

V. 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, 15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

NUMBERS, Ch. xxi. V. 8.—And JEHOVAH said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole; and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it shall live.

Our Saviour's application of this to himself, teaches us to whom we are to look for life and salvation.